Shipping crate



7 July 10, 1934.

SHIPPING CRATE Filed Sept. 15, 1932 INVENTOR R. J. HOQXIE 1,965,938

Patented July 10, 1934 IJNIv ED STATES 1,965,938 SHIPPING CRATE Ralph J. Hoxie, Waterloo, Iowa, assignor to Waterloo Fruit & Waterloo, Iowa Commission Company,

Application September 15, 1932, Serial No. 633,319

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in shipping crates, andthe object of my improvement is to supply shippers and others with a device of this class particularly designed for use in the crating of watermelons or other fruits or goods, to protect themfrom injuries While in transit, and including partitional means adjustable to permit the formation of compartments of different sizes when desired.

Another object of my improvements is to provide a skeleton type crate with a similar cover having separably connected end fastening means therefor for convenient use in permitting filling the crate compartments as also for discharging them.

I have successfully achieved these objects by reduction to practice and by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an isometric projection drawing of my completely assembled shipping crate. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof taken on the broken line 2-2 of said Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section thereof, taken on the broken line 3-3 of said Fig. 1.

Watermelons usually are shipped in lots uncrated, and in the processes of handling them or while in transportation they often are bruised or cracked, rendering them a total loss, or unfit to be marketed, or if having not noticeable superficial bruises or interior fractures not discernible from the outside, the fruit is liable to quickly spoil or to be much deteriorated in the hands of purchasers. I have therefore devised the crate herein illustrated, which has been found practical and satisfactory in use in transferring melons to and from a warehouse or other place to trucks or other means of transportation, and successful in preventing the above mentioned injuries. However, it is to be understood, that my invention may be employed for the carriage of any other goods as desired and for which it is adapted, also, that as various possible embodiments may be made, that the showing herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The box portion of my crate is preferably of the open skeleton or slatted type, for economy in construction and other reasons, and comprises the four corner end standards 1 connected rigidly by longitudinal spaced bottom slats 3, side slats 4, and end slats 2.

The numeral 5 denotes several spaced vertical ribs fastened upon the inner faces of both sets of side slats 4 intermediate the standards 1, in this case four ribs on each side being used, whose three interspaces may serve alternately to seat slidably and removably therein a partitioning means consisting of the superposed plates '7 and 8, although a single plate, or more than two plates may be used as desired. This construction is best shown in said Fig. 2, the lower edge of the under plate 8 being supported upon the bottom slats 3 transversely. Other kinds of adjustably seated partitioning means may, however, be employed, as the purpose thereof is to provide means for medially partitioning the boxing or crate into equal compartments as shown in Fig. 2, or with unequal compartments in order to receive and fit melons of different lengths, in which case the partition is removed from its illustrated medial position and placed in either slideway groove between other ribs 5 nearer one end of the crate than the other to provide compartments of the desired inequality of volume or length. a

The removable cover may be of any other construction as desired, but as shown consists of spaced longitudinal slats 10 secured at their ends and under faces upon the cross-bars 9.

The cover preferably has disassemblable end fastenings to the crate body as shown, but may be secured thereto hingedly or removably by other suitable means. Each of said fastenings shown comprises swingingly jointed hinge members 11 and 12, of which the member 11 is preferably fastened upon a top slat 10, the other member 12 swung down upon the adjacent crate end and slotted to receive therethrough a staple 13. This may be locked as shown, or by other desired locking means, as by a short strap 15 secured to the end of the crate and having a snap-hook 14 on its free end to be releasably snapped through the staple 13. One or more of these hinges mayle used at each end of the crate, and serve as hinges for the cover separable at either end as convenient.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An apertured open top shipping crate, a closure therefor, a separable hinging connection on each end of the crate and cover, vertically disposed longitudinally arranged and spaced bars fixed on opposite inner longitudinal side walls of the crate, to provide a medial pair of slideways and one or more pairs of other slideways set off from the medial pair toward the adjacent crate end, and a partition member receivable into either pair of slideways interchangeably, whereby the crate may be divided at will into equal length or unequal length compartments.

RALPH J. HOXEE. 

